Five-Figure Fine for Rogue London Landlord

A commercial landlord, the owner of 16 properties in Waltham Forest, North London, has received a £22,000 fine for failing to licence two of his rented homes.

Both houses of William Lao’s were let out to families. Mr Lao has since attempted to apply for the required licences but potentially may be unable to do so due to his convictions.

Labour’s cabinet member for housing, Councillor Khevyn Limbajee, said: “This is not the first time Mr Lao has fallen foul of the law and we have had to put matters before the courts in order to hold him to account for his actions.

“It goes to show that rogue landlords simply can’t get away with it – not in this borough where we have a landlord licensing system in place, not just for HMOs, but for all private rented property.”

Indeed a lesson should be learned by landlords falling foul of the laws when it comes to renting out homes in the UK. Not least, landlords renting out homes of substandard conditions may well be liable for an occupier’s liability compensation claim.

The headline of Mr Lao’s fine follows the recent announcement of a potential new licensing scheme by Fenland District Council that could see an end to rogue landlords making money from renting out properties that fail to meet basic safety standards. Read more on this here.

If you think that appliances installed by your landlord do not meet safety standards, of if you have been injured by a faulty appliance in your property or as a result of your landlord’s negligence, call Slater and Gordon on freephone 0800 916 9083 or contact us online and we will call you.

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